feels like home
by eliana-moran
Summary: Ginny decides that the fued with Malfoy is ridiculous and simply refuses to participate. He can't fight such devious tactics and relents. When friendship becomes more, can they make a life for themselves?
1. Creepin' In

A/N: this is a different type of songfiction. there will be no lyrics posted, though a line or two may be quoted or adapted. each chapter, however, is inspired by one of the tracks on the Norah Jones album, "feels like home." i have taken the tracks and rearranged them to tell a story. each chapter title will be the title of the corresponding song. i hope you like it. it is already finished and will update daily for 13 days.

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Creepin' In - Draco

Wonderful! This was the third night in a row he couldn't sleep. It was all that Weasley's fault. Not the ruddy excuse for a male, no, the exceptionally _female_ Weasley. She was driving him insane. It had started on the train. He had insulted her family, like always, and she _thanked_ him! She had _thanked _him and _LAUGHED!_

What on earth had that been about? He had no bloody idea.

The next time he saw her, on the way into the Great Hall, she had smiled and _waved_ at him! She had gone completely and thoroughly _mad!_

After that, whenever he would sneer, she would smile. When he insulted she thanked him as if it had been a compliment, or worse, told him he didn't mean it. Did her brother know how cracked his sister was behaving? Surely he would never allow such friendly behaviour toward a Malfoy.

He rubbed his face with his hand and roled over. She was really getting under his skin and he really didn't like it.

It continued for a week. Finally he was so tired and frustrated that he pulled her into an empty classroom as she made her way to the Great Hall for breakfast on Saturday. Not many students made it to breakfast on weekends, but she hadn't missed one since she started school so he was pretty sure she would pass that way.

"Oh! Hello!" came the cheery greeting when she recovered her balance.

He stared at her like she was insane. "I just grabbed you and dragged you into an empty classroom..." she smiled, "Aren't you supposed to be angry and scared, or something?"

She shrugged. "I don't know about _supposed_, but I guess it would be the expected reaction."

"Then why aren't you?" he demanded.

She shrugged again. "You won't hurt me, so why be scared? As for angry, well, why bother? You see, I've grown weary of our fued and I'm convinced it is ridiculous. You can hate me if you want, but I'm done. I've decided that if you really think I'm as horrible as you say, you wouldn't waste your time talking to me. Therefore, if you spare a few precious moments and breaths to insult my family or character or something it really is a compliment that you think I'm _worth_ insulting." She had that riduculous grin on her face again. "That answer the questions you dragged me in here to ask or was there something else?"

He stared at her in pure disbelief. He blinked a few times, trying to comprehend what she had said.

She shrugged one last time and turned to leave.

"Wait!" he finally found his voice.

She looked back over her shoulder.

"It won't work."

She raised an eyebrow.

"I won't stop hating you."

"Sure you will!" she declared with a smile and wave before leaving.

He just gawked at her back. He stood there for a solid five minutes before leaving.

For the next few weeks he went out of his way to be crueler than usual to her. She persisted in her bloody friendly manner. Nothing he could do would make her angry or hurt her. Eventually the words silenced into sneers and the sneers into exasperated sighs or eye rolls. By the end of the first term he was just trying to ignore her.

Unfortunately, when he stopped being mean to her, she started being nice to him. When he didn't insult her on sight, she greeted him. When he failed to put her down, she wished him well. It made ignoring her all but impossible. All right, completely impossible.

By Valentine's he returned her waves and grudgingly said 'hello' in reply. The day before Spring hols he froze, wrenched his eyes shut, and clenched his jaw, balling his fists by his side. Unless he had been Imperiused, and he had not, he had...no, he couldn't have, but there was no mistaking the fact that he had just heard himself say, "Have a good hols, Red."

The giggling behind him confirmed his worst fears. "You too!"

When she returned from the break, he decided there was no fighting it. There simply was no defense against such horribly devious tactics. He didn't even flinch when she sat at his table in the library. He even greeted her when she joined him by the lake. Yes, Draco Malfoy had lost a battle of the wills. He allowed himself to be befriended by a bloody Gryffindor named Ginevra Weasley.

In the back of his mind, his heart was perhaps for the first time weighing in on events. All it had to say to Ginny was _Once you have begun, don't stop until your done sneaking in._


	2. Toes

A/N sorry about the mix up, dont know what happened

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For the last term they were what one might call friendly acquaintances. She would join him on occasion if he was alone in the library or the grounds, and sometimes they would even talk about things other than school. It was never much, she didn't want to push him too far and he had no inclination to help her.

She even sat with him on the train back to London. He really had no idea what her brother thought of all this, but he didn't ask, that indicated interest. What he found interesting was the feeling in his stomach as he watched her join her family on the platform. He was going to miss her. He, Draco Malfoy, was going to miss her, Ginevra Weasley. He shrugged and found the car waiting for him.

He didn't really have much time to miss her, however, because worrying took up most of his free time. The war was raging thicker than ever. It was ended surprisingly soon, though, and Voldemort was dead before the seventh month had died. Most of the known death eaters were imprisoned, the rest killed. His father was among the latter.

September first found the wizarding world in the middle of trials for suspected death eaters. Not that he had any interest in them. He looked up from his book as the red-head flopped into the seat opposite him on the train. She didn't look very happy.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Hm?" she looked at him, "no, not really. Just my brother being an ass, but that's nothing new."

He set his book down, this could be interesting. "What did he do this time?"

She sighed. "You promise you will remember these are his words and let me finish everything before you react?" she looked a little worried.

He frowned slightly. "Sure."

"Well, he wanted to know if I was going to continue my project to fix the bloody little evil ferret."

He raised an eyebrow but remained silent as promised.

"I tried to explain for the millionth time, with Hermione's help, that I do _not_ have a _project_. That I honestly did _not_ set out to _change_ or _fix_ you in any way. I just stopped hating you and wanted you to know it. I think it's ridiculous to hate someone for no reason at all and that is all we seem to do at school, yeah? Anyway, he threatened to tell Mum and Dad. That's when I told him they were well aware of the fact that I had...become...friends..." she hesitated, unsure of how he react to her calling them that, but continued when his expression didn't change. "They are even proud of me, for some reason. That's when _he_ warned me that I was being a fool and that you are nothing more than a souless clone of your father."

He raised his eyebrow again.

"I told him I think he's pathetic and people like him had as much to do with the war as people like your father, and besides, you're nothing like Lucius." She sat back to indicate he was allowed to react.

"Well..." he didn't really know what to say.

She shrugged. "Feel free to punch him when you see him, I won't care. After what he said about you no one can blame you. I, however, walked away from him and am determined not let his power to effect my mood outstretch his power to make himself heard."

"You'd really let me punch him?" Draco really didn't believe her.

"Yeah. I don't know how you feel about your father, but to me, that last comment warrented it based on the soulless bit alone."

He grinned. When they got to school, he did _not_ take her up on the offer. To him, knowing she would let him was enough retribution. She had sided with a Malfoy over her brother. That was enough to build his interest in the friendship.

If anything, this made the relationship harder for Ginny. It was easy to keep things light and superficial when he didn't care, but now he did. She could see it in his eyes. He cared about her. He was glad she was around. He was happy to see her when she approached him.

The problem was that no matter how much she talked about her family, he never talked about his. She knew he would be reserved, but it didn't make it easier. She couldn't bring herself to ask him anything personal, either. There was just something there, whenever she looked at him with a question on the tip of her tongue she always thought better of it.

They talked about a lot of things now. They discussed the trials, never his father's. They discussed the reconstruction and politics; she learned he didn't really care much about blood purity at all, it just made a rather handy insult is all. They talked about everything from art, music, and literature, to foord, science, and nature. They covered beauty and truth and fear and pain. They talked phislosophy and abstracts as well as deeper meaning of popcorn and peanuts.

She was getting to know him, but she still felt so far away. She knew his favourite color but not his worst fear. She knew his least favourite food but not his best memory. He never used any examples from his own life and he never discussed how he felt. She felt like she was standing on the edge of deep river but her toes just touched the water.

One day he found her sitting by the lake, staring out across it. She didn't turn to face him with a smile as he approached. That was odd. A thoughtful look spread across his features as he sat down beside her. She still didn't turn to face him.

"Red?" he asked tentatively, "everything all right?"

She sighed. "I love sunsets, they are so incredibly beautiful and you'll never see the same one twice."

He turned to face the same direction she was, mimicking her pose, ankles crossed and knees pulled up with her arms wrapped around them.

"You can't reach them, though. No matter how you try or who you are, you simply can't walk in the sunset."

He lowered his head and stared at his knees. "I _do_ trust you."

"I know."

They sat there in silence for a moment.

Looking back up he turned his eyes to the girl beside him. Reaching up with his hand, he brushed her hair behind her ear. "You know, sitting here like this, the setting sun turns your hair almost pure gold." She turned to face him. "And the way it shines in your eyes makes it look like they have stars swimming in them."

She blushed and lowered her gaze. He tilted his head so he could look up at her and recover it, "From where I'm sitting, you _are_ in the sunset." He kissed the top of her head. "I'm sorry Red, I'm slow. Just give me some time."

She nodded before scooting closer and leaning against him. She rested her head on his shoulder, he rested his on hers, and together they wathched the sunset.


	3. Those Sweet Words

Draco began to open up a bit more each day. One night in particular would never be forgotten by either of them. They had both remained at school over Christmas and they were sitting in the Room of Requirement before a blazing fire just enjoying the evening. Conversation turned to the holidays and she told him about various years past. It was so peaceful, so comfortable. That was the evening he began talking about his own childhood. He told her about the one happy Christmas he could remember. He had been four and his father had been away. It had been just him and his mother. They had spent the evening much the same way he was spending this one with Ginny.

They sat there, looking at each other, the fire dancing in their eyes. That was the second happy Christmas in his life and the first time he wondered what the future would hold without fear.

He wasn't sure when it first happened, but at some point they began kissing each other on the cheek when they said goodbye. Somewhere along the way the physical barriers between them were broken down. She would lay her head on his stomach as they lay on their backs under the sky. He would wrap his arm around her as they walked. If she started laughing hysterically, she almost always ended up leaning on him for support. They were often seen wrestling on the grounds.

Almost the entire school was convinced they were dating, but they weren't. They bought each other Christmas presents but that was the only exchange. When they went to Hogsmeade she paid for herself. They had never kissed the way couples kissed and certainly never snogged each other senseless. All of their actions were chaste. They were simply comfortable with each other.

After the war, almost no one had a problem with their relationship. Ron still turned red to the ears whenever he saw them together, but he had long since given up trying to convince her to leave him alone. She had met his mother and been accepted with genuine affection. Narcissa loved anyone who could make her boy smile the way Ginny did.

Molly and Narcissa were well aware that the relationship their children shared was innocent, but Draco and Ginny would have been mortified to hear some of the conversation the women had.

All of her brothers eventually accepted him and didn't give him too hard of a time when he came home with her for Easter. Fred and George had to initiate him into the family, of course, feeding him some concoction of theirs that turned his hair bright red. To everyone's delight, and most of their surprise, he just laughed. A few hours later, curiously enough, Fred and George discovered that anything they said sounded an aweful lot like the chittering of squirrels to everyone else. Even Ron began to loosen up and behave civilly.

For his birthday she made him a small pillow. It was green and stitched onto one side was a silver dragon and red rose. She was afraid he would think it was silly, but to him it was the best gift he had ever received.

When he graduated she was there for him as much as she was her brother and friends. As soon as the ceremony was over they found each other. He picked her up and swung her around with a cry of joy, making her laugh. When he stopped spinning, he lowered her back to her feet. As she slid through his arms, toes coming to rest on the ground, her laughter slowly faded and he forgot to release her. Standing there, looking into each other's eyes, they had their first moment of curiosity.

Someone shouting nearby soon brought them back to their surroundings and he laughed, letting her go. He reached up and took his graduation cap off, placing it on her head. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders a little more possessively than in the past, he led her to where the others were waiting for them.

That summer they spent a lot of time at each other's houses or in Diagon Alley. For her birthday he got her a beautiful necklace that had a silver dragon protectively curled around a ruby rose charm hanging on a silver chain. It was the perfect length, the charm rested in the hollow just below her neck. She never took it off.

He volunteered to take her to the station for her last year of school. Molly wasn't exactly _happy_ to miss out on seeing her last child off to school for the last time, but she decided she would rather let them have their 'little moment' as she liked to call it. As they stood there on the platform they mourned the fact that they wouldn't see each other until Christmas, they talked about how he was going to start learning how to run his family holding the next day, they talked about how she was going to have a miserable time studying for her NEWTs, and they talked about how much they would miss each other.

As the time for the train to leave approached their conversation died away and they found it a lot harder to say goodbye than they thought they would. They stood there staring at each other, one or other occasionally commenting that she really should get on the train, until the whistle blew and she literally had to jump in order to get on it in time. She stood by the door looking out the window until she couldn't see him anymore. That was the second time they couldn't ignore that feeling deep inside.

They wrote everyday at first, but then both of them got busy and it settled down into once a week. Christmas was spent at the Burrow, both Draco and Narcissa joining the Weasley's, all of whom had come 'home' that year. Fred and George brought Angeline and Katie from their school days. They thought that since pretty much everyone had brought someone that sufficed for a date mistletoe was diffinitely a necessity, the magic kind that wouldn't leave you alone until you kissed the person it caught you with. Bill and Fluer had a daughter that was celebrating her first Christmas, but as her birthday was December 26, she was old enough to be rather interested in everything about it. Charlie had brought a girl from Romania home with him and proposed beneath the mistletoe the first time it caught them. Percy brought Penelope, Ron had Hermione, and Harry had brought a girl he had met in Auror training. It was the biggest, loudest, happiest Christmas they could imagine.

When the mistletoe caught Draco and Ginny, she turned beet read as she waited to see _how_ he would kiss her. He stood there, looking at her for a moment, before slowly leaning down and kissing her gently and sweetly on the lips. She closed her eyes and returned the kiss. It wasn't chaste, and he held her cheek in his hand for a moment after before touching his forehead to hers and returing to the errund he was running for Arthur and she to the one she was on for Molly.

He got her a beautiful winter cloak that fit her perfectly. She got him a leatherbound journal. Neither said anything about the kiss, but she did blush whenever she caught his eye for three days. Before she returned to school, he pulled her into a close a hug. "I'll miss you," he whispered into her ear. She couldn't answer him and only nodded before pulling away and returning to school.

That Christmas was when they actually started to think. There letters became sweeter, more shy.

Easter found her too swamped with NEWT studies to come home and he was too busy cleaning up his father's business to visit her at the school. Their letters continued to change. No declarations were made, but longing and desire were ever present undertones.

He was there when she graduated. When the ceremony was over he greeted her the same way he had at his own, only this time, as he lowered her down, he intentially kept her closer to himself than strictly necessary, making sure to catch her mouth with his own as it passed. She had to reach up to keep her hat from falling off, but after a second she forgot about it and brought the same hand around to the back of his head. When he pulled away slightly and moved his head so he could hug her tightly, her head was realing. She was thankful he hadn't let go because she was certain she wouldn't be able to stand on her own.

Without letting go, he whispered in her ear, "I love you, Ginevra. I need you. Will you marry me?"

Her breath caught in her throat and tears sprung to her eyes. She pulled away so she could look up at him. The look in her eyes was enough for him. He saw her mouth move but he hadn't heard a sound. She reached up and touched his cheek softly with her hand. Repeating herself, she said, "Yes, Draco, yes!"

"Could...could you say it again?" tears were in his own eyes but he was almost laughing, "I want to hear those sweet words again."

"I love you, Draco. Yes." He pulled her into another kiss.


	4. Sunrise

Sunrise - Ginny

The next few months were a dream for Ginny. She planned her wedding with the help of both mothers and Hermione who was to be her maid of honour. Draco asked Ron to be the best man and Ron had nothing more to say against him. She couldn't be happier.

She and Draco had never dated. They had gone from friends to fiances but it was so natural that they never even thought about it. They were in love and the world knew it. They didn't make many public displays of affection beyond holding hands or a light kiss goodbye, but the way they spoke to each other, looked at each other, and spoke _about_ each other it was obvious.

The wedding was the most beautiful anyone present had ever seen. They were married out on the grounds of Malfoy Manor on a perfectly cooperative May evening. There guests sat in white chairs. The chairs on the isle were connected with white and pale blue ribbon. A single white rose adorned each point where the ribbon was hung. White rose petals were strewn along the isle, accenting the green grass. A white arch stood at the front and had mixed white and red rose vines growing over it. The brides maids wore simple silk dresses of same blue the ribbons were and carried white roses. The flower girl, Bill and Fluer's daughter, wore a white dress with a blue sash and threw red rose petals down among the white. All the groomsmen wore black suits with pale blue accents and a white rose bud boutonniere.

Draco's suit had white accents and his boutonniere was a red rose bud.

Ginny's dress, though, eclipsed everything. It was simple, form fitting to the waist where it flowed out into a full skirt. It was sleevless and the straps were seemless with the scoop necline and semi-low back. I was pure white matte silk without any embelishments and she wore no jewelry. Her beautiful auburn hair was pulled up in curls and she carried a two single roses, one white and one red.

They timed the ceremony so that the sun was setting behind them as they said their vows.

They went to Ireland for their honeymoon, just a simple little bed and breakfast on the southwestern coast. It was the happiest time of her life. They stayed up late and slept through the morning. They walked along the coast. They drove through the countryside. They existed for each other.

They made a home for themselves in a penthouse flat in town. She found so much pleasure in choosing their furniture and decorating the place that Draco often found himself leaning up against a door post just watching. Sometimes he lost himself in the sound of her voice and smile in her eyes, only to be brought out of it by her laugh when she realized that he hadn't heard a word she was saying. Other times he would help her paint, they enjoyed doing it the muggle way, it was fun, and she would make fun of him for getting more pain on himself than on the walls. That always ended in a paint fight. _Those_ always ended with them on the floor, her lieing beneath him, and the paint was completely forgotten.

She enjoyed cooking for him and entertaining the people he worked with. She made friends with wives and sisters of his male associates and particularly good friends with his female ones.

Her life was a fairytale and she couldn't believe it had happened to her.

Eventually life settled into a ruitine and she got a job working for the paper. It wasn't anything much, they paid a little bit a month and then gave her something extra for each article she wrote them. It wasn't a regular column so there weren't deadlines; it was simply a 'as you write them' deal with no promises of publication.

As she watched Draco among his associates whenever their conversation turned to business, which was inevitable, she couldn't but thank her watchful star. She never ceased to be surprised that they had made this work. Sometimes she would almost be afraid to open her eyes in the morning and find it was all a cruel dream and every night she was thankful that they had made it through another day.


	5. Long Way Home

Long Way Home - Draco

They had been married for a year when Draco decided to start handling more of the foreign business himself. At first it was just a weekend every other month or so. He was always so happy to be home, to be in her arms again. He always took an extra day off so he could spend it with her, making up for the time he was gone.

By the their second anniversery the weekends had become weeks, but the extra day had become two. He really did hate leaving her. He always brought her something back that he knew she would love.

During their third year the trips became more frequent, almost one a month, and the gifts he brought her back became more expensive. He never stopped spending a day or two with her when he returned, though.

It was May, the day before their anniversery, and she didn't know exactly when he was coming in. She called his secretary and asked when he was expected to return, when she didn't receive a straight answer she went down to the office to talk to someone in person. When she got there she ran into the man that had accompanied him.

"Oh!" she said, when saw him in the foyer, "you're back!"

He looked around nervously. "Yeah, just got in."

She thought his reaction was odd and her brow furrowed, "Do you know where Draco is?"

He scratched the back of his head. "No, I really don't."

"Well, didn't he come in with you?" she was thoroughly confused, but was trying to imagine he was simply planning something really special and didn't want her to know he was back.

"Ginny!" Sarah, one of Draco's female associates, entered the foyer and stopped dead when she saw the red-head.

"Sarah, have you seen Draco?" If anyone had it would be Sarah, she handled the accounts and he had to give her the receipts of all purchases made on the companies sickle.

Sarah looked over at the man and back at Ginny. She opened her mouth to say something, but from the look on her face Ginny knew she didn't want to hear it.

"He isn't here, is he?" Sarah shook her head sadly. "But the business is done, isn't it?" The man nodded guiltily. Ginny was struggling to hold back tears as she took a few steps back before turning and practically running for the apparation point. Once back in thier flat she broke down.

Draco didn't come home for their anniversary. He didn't come home until midnight the day after. When he got home he found Ginny sitting at the kitchen table in the dark.

"Ginny!" his voice was full of concern as he dropped his bags and ran to her side, "Is everything all right? Why are you sitting in the dark?" He stood, flicked his wand to turn on the lights, and then sat beside her.

She looked up at him through tear swollen eyes and pushed a small package toward him on the table. He looked down at it in confusion. "Happy anniversary," she said in a husky and strained voice.

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. Slowly, he unwrapped the gift before him. It was a signet ring. The seal was a dragon curled around a rose. He tried to swallow but it felt like someone had shoved a fistful of cotton down his throat. "Ginny..." he began in a whisper, but she interrupted him.

"How long?" there was so much pain in her eyes he couldn't look at her. "How long have you extended your trips?"

He put his elbows on the table and rested his head in his hands. "I...this..."

"How long!" she demanded.

"It wasn't every trip. Five or six times." His voice didn't sound like it was his own.

She just nodded.

He turned to her in desperation. "Ginny, I..."

"Don't!" she almost screamed, "Don't you _dare_ tell me you love me!" The tears were pouring out of her eyes again.

"I do, Gin," he whispered in dejection, "I really do. You are my world. I just...I feel so tied down when I'm here with the office and...I feel trapped. I just...I escape for a little while."

"I didn't propose to you. _You_ asked _me_ to marry you, remember!" Anger and bitterness were thick in her voice. "I'm sorry if I _tie you **down!**_"

"NO!" he looked up her immidiately. "No, Gin, please," tears were falling down his own face, "it isn't you. You're perfect. I...I always miss you, whether you believe me or not," from the look on her face she did not. "It's this _place_! The bills, the job, the town, the responsibility...I just have to get away from it all. I need to feel free."

"That is certainly an option." Her voice was so quiet he could barely hear it. She looked so defeated.

"No, Gin, no. Please don't... I don't want... please. Just...just come with me! From now on when I go on a business trip I'll take you. We can go on other trips, too, just us, wherever you want!" If she came with him there would be no reason to...he should have thought of this a long time ago. She could turn her articles in from wherever they were. She didn't have to be _here_ to do that. "Just please, give it a chance, give _me_ a chance." He was begging her. "You know I love you, Gin, more than the whole world."


	6. What Am I To You?

Ginny just stared at him in disbelief. "What the hell!" she finally managed to say. "You can't keep your lousy hands to yourself so your answer is for me to _follow_ you around! What the hell!" She got up and left the table, moving to stand before the fireplace in the living room.

He lit the fire for her but she didn't seem to notice. He sat on the couch with his head in his hands, waiting for something, anything from her.

Finally she turned back to him. "Don't I mean anything to you?"

He looked up her, face full of pain, guilt, and concern, "More than my life!"

"Than why can't you...why couldn't you...if this was they only answer why are you just coming up with it now?" Her voice broke his heart. He longe to wrap her in his arms but he knew that would be a bad idea right now.

"I don't know. I'm sorry, Gin, I'm so sorry." His tears started flowing again.

"You're sorry? Of course you're sorry." She turned back to the fire and sat down before it. "I love you Draco. I love you with all that I am. I thought that you loved me the same way." Her voice was so far away and she looked so small.

He was by her side before he had blinked. He buried his face in her lap. "I do, oh, I do, Gin. Please believe me, I do."

"But not enough to stay with me." She had absentmindly brought her hand up to the back of his neck and was rubbing it. Her eyes were still transfixed by the fire.

He sat up. "I don't want to leave you, Gin, I never want to leave you. Come with me. We can go away. We have enough to spend our lives on the road. Come with me and we'll never..."

She interrupted him. Turning her eyes fully on him with the fire's dance reflected in them. "What am I to you?"

"Everything."

"When I look in your eyes..." she ignored his answer, "I never want to part, Draco. I'm giving you the ball. Do you love me enough to _stay_?" All emotion had drained from her. She simply couldn't take any more of this. She was so tired. She hadn't slept since she left his office. All she wanted to know what if he loved her enough to _stay._ She would go anywhere with him he wanted if he was only willing to _stay_.

"I'll do anything to keep you." He buried his face in her lap again. "I'll do anything to keep you. I'll never leave London again if you'll only forgive me, give me another chance."

She kissed the back of his head and stood up. He watched her stand, fear deep in his eyes. "I'm tired," she said. "I haven't slept in days." She started walking toward the bedroom. He stood and took a few steps to follow her but stopped. He was so afraid he had lost her forever. "Sleep out here tonight. I don't know where you've been." She disappeared into the bedroom and he sank onto the couch in complete and utter dejection. She was gone. He had lost her.

He jumped a foot when she reentered with a pillow and a blanket for him. "Just give me time. This won't be easy for me." She handed him the things and turned to leave again.

He sank onto the couch practically sobbing with relief.

"And I like your idea of going away. It would probably make this easier for both of us," she said before closing the door for the night.

They left the next day for the Mediterranean. The spent two months abroad. It took Ginny two weeks before she could bring herself to share a bed with her husband and a month before she could feel his touch without feeling dirty and betrayed. Slowly, ever so slowly, they began to rebuild what he had destroyed.

The spent most of the the first few days in complete silence. Then, for a while, they just talked, almost about nothing. Slowly their conversation became more natural and she became more comfortable with him again. A few nights before they left for London they were standing on the balcony of their hotel room and he had his arms wrapped around her. He couldn't believe how good it felt to have her in his arms again, relaxed, not forcing herself to stay there.

She slowly turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Kiss me," she said softly.

He bent his head down and lightly kissed her lips. She closed her eyes and let him. He waited for her reaction. She just stood there in his arms with her eyes closed. Finally, she pushed herself up on her toes ever so slightly so she could kiss him the way he had kissed her. Again, he waited, knowing that everything was no determined by her desires. When she moved up again he returned her second kiss, so simple and so soft, but still the most glorious thing he had ever felt in his entire life.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him closely. "I love you, Draco."

"I love you too."

By their fourth anniversary they had recovered _most_ of what they had lost.


	7. Above Ground

Above Ground - Draco

There fifth year went pretty well for them, almost as well as the second had. She knew they would never recover the innocent adoration their first year had held for each of them. She was happy again, though. She had learned to trust Draco again.

She never told her family, or anyone else, what had happened. She didn't see the need. They had gotten through it. She had forgiven him and they had found their way through. She was happy.

So when she went to surprise Draco at the office one evening with dinner because he had to work late and was told he had left early she was completely caught off balance. He had lied to her. He had told her he was working late and that he couldn't possibly be home before eleven. It was only eight. She was still standing there, staring dumbly at the receptionist, when Sarah exited the lift, leaving for the night.

When she saw the look on Ginny's face and the plate of food in her hands, she clenched her jaw. "Ginny?" She said quietly as she approached.

"Hm?" Ginny turned to face Sarah before fully coming out of the shock. "Do you know where he would go?"

Sarah shook her head sadly. "I really don't. I told him last time that I wouldn't do it again, I wouldn't keep my mouth shut. He took off at lunch, saying that he was going home early." There was nothing but regret and sympathy on her face. She was six years older than Ginny, but they had become good friends, especially over the last year. After she had apologized for not letting Ginny know about the time discrepensy in Draco's trips, they had started spending 'girl time' together and gotten to know each other pretty well.

Ginny nodded. "Sarah, would...would you mind helping me pack? I don't think I can get through it alone." The tears were already beginning to sting her eyes.

"Why don't we wait until we _know_..." Sarah tried to point out that nothing had been confirmed.

Ginny shook her head. "No. He never lies to me. He wouldn't lie to me for any other reason."

Sarah sighed and wrapped the younger girl in her arms. No, Draco never would lie for anything else. "Just wait one minute, I'll be right with you." She felt Ginny nod before she stepped into a nearby office.

She picked up the phone and called the hotel most well known for discretion. After a few strategically worded questions she discovered that he did indeed have a room there. She couldn't believe it. How could you be so stupid? A hotel? Just go to her place. And the lies? How easily were they found out! She opened a drawer in a nearby filing cabinet and pulled out a resignation form. Putting it in her bag, she returned to Ginny.

When Draco got home that evening he expected to find Ginny asleep in bed. When she wasn't there, he searched the entire flat for her. He ran a hand hastily through his hair when he couldn't find her. Turning to her dresser he pulled open the top drawer; it was empty. He pulled out the next drawer. It was empty too. He pulled the rest of the drawers out so fast most of them ended up on the floor. He raced to the closet and tore open the door, knowing it would be empty too. He threw his head back and roared before hitting his forehead against the wall and sinking to his knees.

He spent the night on the couch, unable to climb into the empty bed. He showered and went to work the next morning without a single concious thought. As soon as he apparated in Sarah thrust her resignation into his chest. When his hand automatically came up to hold the paper, she released it and returned to her office.

He sat behind his desk with a thud. He tried to read the reports sitting in front of him, but his eyes wouldn't focus. A few people came in and tried to talk to him, but he couldn't understand a word they said and he just stared at them stupidly.

She had left him. He deserved it. She was gone. She was better off without him. How could he have done this again? She was gone. His life had walked out on him. He had driven his spirit away from himself. He was alone. He had completely destroyed everything that meant anything to him.

He left work early and went to the nearest pub. He drank until they kicked him out. He had no idea how he had made it home when he woke up on his floor the next morning. He didn't make into work that day, or the next. People came looking for him after a week without word. He told them to run the company themselves and disapparated.

He spent two months drinking before deciding that it simply didn't work. He wandered aimlessly for a while after that, going wherever the wind took him. Somehow he ended up in New York. Riding in the subway the solitude weighed heavily on his shoulders. He was in a city of millions and not one of them knew his name. They all had their places to go and people to see, but he had nothing and no one. Being underground seemed appropriate to him somehow.

He happened to look up and see a couple clearly in love. She had forgiven him once. She would never forgive him again. How could he even ask?

It had been six months and he hadn't even looked at another woman. Somehow the divorce papers had found him when he couldn't even find himself and he had signed them. How could he refuse? Now he was free to look, free to roam, and he found it harder to believe than ever that he would even dream of anyone but her. There existed nowhere and never had a bigger fool than he, of that he was certain.

He had to find a way to prove himself, but how? She would never look at him again. He would find a way, somehow, even if it took the rest of his life. But he had no right to try. He didn't deserve her. He had no right to even attempt to win her back. He leaned the top of his head back against the wall of the train.

He would climb out of this hole. He would grow up, learn how to live a real life. Even if he only had his thoughts for company, he would live as he should have lived with her.


	8. In The Morning

In The Morning - Ginny

Ginny stayed with Sarah for a few days while she found a more steady job and a place of her own. She managed to get a job as a secretary for a random office a flat not too far from Sarah's.

They spent most of their evenings together and Sarah held Ginny as she cried it all out. Ginny didn't know whether to be grateful or hurt that he hadn't tried to see her or explain. When Sarah told her about his day at the office, his absence, and then his disappearance, Ginny really worried about him.

She put off telling her family as long as possible and when she finally did so it was just a short little note letting them know she was getting a divorce and other than that was doing fine. Her mother immidiately came to visit and tried to find out what had happened, but Ginny refused to give any details. Hermione, who had married Ron shortly after Ginny had married Draco and hadn't had much time between her job and her rapidly growing family to visit, came for three days to help Ginny move into her new flat. Ginny finally told her the whole story.

Both Sarah and Hermione were with her when she talked to the lawyer about the divorce. She didn't ask for anything. She didn't want to worry about splitting their assets or taking any of his money or any of that. She just wanted the divorce.

Sarah ended up getting a job at the same office in which Ginny had become a secretary and Hermione made it a point to _find_ time for friends. Sarah and Hermione soon became as close as each were with Ginny and within three weeks of the day she had moved she had a completely new life organizing itself around her.

The others kept trying to keep her mind off of Draco, but it was pretty difficult to do when she insisted on wearing the necklace he had given her and refused to let them wash that one shirt that smelled like him still. They tried tea and sympathy, but she was in love with him and would always be in love with him.

She woke up every morning expecting to find him beside her and cried when she realized where she was. She slept on the couch rather than climb into an empty bed. She turned a stereo on as soon as she got home and didn't turn it off until she left.

The only thing that would help her was time, lots of time. She would always love him, she knew that, she just hoped that time would dull the pain a little. She hoped that someday it would merely be a soft emptiness in the back of her heart, a sweet meloncholy. For now, though, it was a gaping wound that made it hard to breath.

She couldn't even bring herself to hate him. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't make herself angry. There was no anger, only pain.

She tried to let the girls distract her. She went out with them and talked to them and laughed with them even when she didn't feel like. Mostly though, she spent her time at work and at her new home, reading by the fire.

Five weeks had passed and Ginny was late for a dinner with the girls. They were about to go looking for her when she finally showed and sat down at their table. They immediately exchanged a worried glance with each other because she looked as shell shocked as she had when the receptionist told her Draco had left early.

"Um, Gin? You okay?" Hermione finally asked when Ginny remained silent.

Ginny turned a blank stare on her friend. "I'm...pregnant."

Sarah dropped her glass of water and Hermione embraced Ginny.

"You know?" Ginny said, sounding more as though she was talking to herself than to the others, "I'm happy. I'm glad I'll have someone to love and take care of, that needs me." She finally focused her eyes and looked at the girls in turn. "I'm happy about this. There won't be a child more loved."

Sarah and Hermione smiled at her, both of them knowing that a great deal of pain would be wrapped up in that bundle of joy. "You know it," Sarah finally managed to say.


	9. Don't Miss You At All

Don't Miss You At All - Draco

The years passed. Draco returned to London and resumed his position in his business. He never touched alcohol. He was never with a woman. He never took his wedding ring off.

He had grown up. The responsibility of a regular job ceased to eat away at him and became familiar, eventually even comforting. The careless attitude of his youth settled into a refined sophistication. The hard corners of his eyes softened into murky depths. Anyone who spoke to him knew he had, in his short life, met with tragedy. Pain matures people in a way time simply cannot.

No matter how discreetely or how forwardly he asked, he couldn't attain any information about Ginny. He supposed it was better that way. If he knew she was unhappy it would destroy him. If he knew she was seeing someone it would kill him. No matter how she was, news would only reopen those old self-inflicted wounds. Yes, it was better no one would tell him anything.

He had long since moved out of the penthouse and returned to Malfoy Manor. His mother had died. He had seen Ginny at the funeral, but she had kept so far away from him and he made no effort to get closer. It was a large, mostly empty house, but it suited him now. It felt without the way his heart felt within.

Three years passed, then a fourth. His business had never been this good. He had friends with whom he went out, friends with whom he played Quidditch once a month, friends that were always trying to set him up with this girl or that. He never did let them, but he had found a way to happy. His life was full. He had his job, his house, his friends, his library...

He stood at one of ceiling to floor windows in the library with his hands in his pockets. The fire was roaring behind him. A tray of hot food was waiting for him on a small table. All he could do, though was stare out into the night. It was snowing. The fire reflected in the glass, turning the snow an orange red to unfocused eyes.

He wasn't thinking about Ginny because he didn't miss Ginny, not anymore. Time had closed those wounds. The scars were still there, sure, but they didn't hurt. He wouldn't let them hurt. He didn't miss her at all. The absence she left in his life certainly wasn't the reason he stood at that window until his dinner was long cold and fire was almost out behind him.

A few days later he was walking to lunch with some associates and they passed a small park. He stopped to watch the children running and laughing. One of them reminded him of someone...it certainly wasn't her. Their laughter, their smiles, had _not_ made him remember hers. He didn't miss her.

His associates had stopped to wait for him when they realized he was behind them. He caught up and went on with his day. No, he didn't miss her.

So what if he didn't know who he was without her? So what if he still felt his hand ache to reach for hers whenever he watched the sunset. She was just a distant memory.


	10. Carnival Town

Carnival Town - Ginny

There he was, on the cover of Witch Weekly, listed as the Most Elligible Wizard. His eyes seemed so much softer than she remembered. She turned to read the article about him. It talked about his past and his business. It mentioned her, well, his ex-wife. It talked about his 'level' of availability. He wasn't even casually dating anyone, but that didn't mean he was precisely on the market either because he hadn't been seen with anyone since his return to London.

Five years and he hadn't been seen out with a single girl. She wondered what that meant. She wondered if he merely kept it quite because of who he was and the media attention he drew or if he really had stopped seeing them.

She knew he had asked after her frequently after he first returned, but she had told everyone that she didn't want him to know anything. She felt a little guilty, not telling him about Teresa, but if he found out she wanted it to be from her and she couldn't figure out how to tell him.

She thought about her own life and full it was. She had her job, her friends, and her daughter. She looked down at the strawberry blond head asleep in her lap. Gently brushing the hair out of the girl's face she smiled. She was a prococious four, almost five, year old, that was for sure.

She sighed, but there was always that ache, deep within her, that would surface in still moments like these.

She wondered if Draco felt the same or if he had completely forgotten her. She wondered if he had found fulfillment or if he was still drifting at heart. She wondered so many things.

He was so successful. His ventures had tripled over time and their offices had moved to a prime location in the business district of Diagon Alley. He had everything. She wondered if he was lonely.

She wondered how much of his disappearance had to do with her and how much had to do with freedom. She wondered why he had returned. She wondered if he ever truly understood how empty those stupid affairs were. She wondered if he was lonely.

She kissed the top of her daughter's head and carried the girl to her room.

Going to her own, she pulled out a small box. It held a shirt that had long since stopped smelling like him, but she refused to wash it anyway. It held all the pictures she had brought with her that had him in them. They looked so happy together. She wondered if he was happy. It held all the letters he had written to her during her seventh year. She still wore his charm, but she had gotten a longer chain so it could hide safely beneath her shirt. The original chain was in the box.

She replaced the lid and charm to keep Teresa out and put the box away. Climbing into bed, she wondered if he was lonely. She hoped he wasn't. She hoped he was happy. She _did_ love him still and always would. She wondered...


	11. Prettiest Thing

Prettiest Thing - Draco

Draco found himself at a part on a glass inclosed roof with a thunderstorm raging above them. Most of the quests were watching the light show in the sky as if it were planned just for them.

"Isn't it the prettiest thing you've ever seen?" One of the ladies asked another.

"It's magnificent!" the other answered, "But I prefer the snow capped Andes."

"The prettiest thing _I've_ ever seen," a gentleman near by chimed in, "Was the perfectly cloudless night sky over the open ocean."

A few appreciative murmers answered him.

"All of that is well and good," another young man said, "but the most beautiful sight I've encountered was my wife walking toward me down the aisle." He had only been married a few months and a mixture of 'isn't that sweet' and eye rolling was the response.

The party continued and people talked rumours and business. Draco took his glass of water and ducked into a shadow, watching the city below and storm above. One of his friends found him there a little while later.

"Hey! What are you doing back here?"

"Thinking of the prettiest thing I've ever seen." A series of images were parading through his mind. Ginny all covered in pain beneath him. Ginny standing in the kitchen, putting a hot meal on the table just as he got home. Ginny walking down the aisle toward him. Ginny sitting by the lake at school with the sunset reflecting off her hair and in her eyes. Ginny wearing the necklace he had gotten her. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

Finishing off his water he turned around. "I'm sorry, but I have to leave." He said his goodbyes and headed home.

As soon as he passed through the door he headed immediately for the library. There, sitting in his favourite chair before the fire, was the pillow she had made him so long ago. He went over to the chair, knelt before it, and buried his face in the soft fabric of his most prized posession.

Five years and he still missed her. Five years and he still loved her. He would never be able to move on. He would never be able to forgive himself. He would never be able to let her go. He just knelt there, weeping as only a man can weep with the image of Ginny sitting at the kitchen table in the dark filling his mind and soul.


	12. Humble Me

Humble Me

"Mummy?" Teresa climbed up on the couch next to her mother. "What's wrong Mummy?"

Ginny was sitting with her head in her hands, the bills piled up on the table in front of her. "Nothing dear, nothing for you to worry about." She reached over and pulled her daughter into her lap and held her close.

It had been almost a month and she couldn't find another job. The place she _had_ been working let her go. They had let a lot of people go. Raising a daughter on her own she hadn't been able to save very much and they were quickly approaching the end of what she had. After she paid the bills that were before her that would be it. They would have until the food already purchased ran out.

She sighed. She didn't have a choice. There was nowhere else she could go. She couldn't go to family, none of them had a place for her and she couldn't ask any of _them_ to pay for her rent. No, she had to swallow her pride.

"Sweetie?" she turned her daughter so she could see her face, "How would you like to go on a trip to the country?"

"Really?" Teresa was immediately excited. "Where are we going?" She was bouncing up and down.

"We're going to go see an old friend of mine. Would you like to meet one of my old friends?" She couldn't help but smile at the little girl's enthusiasm.

Teresa squealed. "When are we going?"

"When would you like to go?" Ginny laughed.

"Right now!" Teresa declared.

"All right, then, you better go pack." She set her daughter on down and gave her a pat on the backside to send her off. She shook her head slightly as she watched the girl disappear into her room. Running her hands through her hair, she stood and moved to pack her own things.

A few minutes later Teresa ran into her room. "I'm ready!"

Ginny turned to her with a mock critical glance. "Is that so?"

Teresa beamed and nodded.

"Did you pack any clothes?" Ginny asked. Teresa got a really thoughtful look on her face before shaking her head. "Don't worry about it, Dear, I'll go grab some for you."

"No!" Teresa said defiantly. "I'm a big girl, I'll get them. How many pieces?"

"Three," Ginny answered. She meant three days worth, but that was what Teresa had meant by 'pieces' anyway. Teresa nodded and ran off again.

Ginny checked her bag to make sure she had everything she needed before they left. Putting both of their bags into the car, she buckled Teresa into the back seat. She didn't like apparating with Teresa and flooing was out of the question so driving was what they were left with as she wasn't authorized to create portkeys.

It wasn't long before Teresa was asleep and Ginny was left in silence. She didn't feel like turning on the radio. There was no way it could take her mind off where she was going so why bother?

She dreaded asking for his help, but she had no other options. What would he say? What would he do? How would he react to learning that he had a daughter? She had his eyes, Teresa did. Would he agree to help them? Would he turn them away? Would he be angry with her for keeping his child from him? Would he try to _take_ Teresa?

That was what really worried her. If he wanted to, there was no doubt the courts would agree. He could take of her, after all.

Tears were beginning to make seeing difficult. Ginny blinked furiously to clear her vision. She was going to face the man she loved. She was going to see him for the first time in five years, the first time since she left.

She reached down and turned on the radio, forcing her mind to focus on the lyrics of whatever was playing.

She was surprised at how fast the trip had gone. She sat in her car for fifteen minutes, staring at the mansion before her before she could gather enough strength to open the door. She went around the car and opened Teresa's door, touching her gently to wake her up. "We're here, Baby."

Teresa looked at her groggily for a moment before a huge grin spread across her face. She unbuckled herself and jumped out of the car, running to the door and knocking before Ginny could even think.

Teresa knocked three times before someone came to answer. Ginny tried to stop her, but she would knock anyway. Eventually the door opened and there stood. He had only opened the door wide enough to look out, holding it above his head with hand. Ginny's breath caught in her throat when she saw a white gold band on his finger. Was it _her's_ or had he remarried? She hadn't read anything about that...

She was standing a little to the side of Teresa and in a shadow, so when Draco opened the door, the only thing he could see at first was a little girl. He got a very confused look on his face before looking around to find who she was with. When eyes finally found Ginny he froze.

He swore his heart stopped beating. Someone had shoved cotton down his throat again. He closed his eyes and looked down again. When he met the little girl's eyes again a shuttering breath filled his body. He clenched his jaw, swallowed again, and closed his eyes to steady himself.

Opening the door wide, he stepped aside so they could come in. Teresa's eyes opened as wide as the door as she looked around the entryway.

Rubbing his face with his hand, he closed the door. Was the child his? Those eyes... And Ginny. She looked so good, but so scared. He didn't know whether to rejoice at finally seeing her again, worry about what brought her here, or just break down right there. Did he have a daughter?

He led them to the library. It was the largest room he could think of with enough things to amuse the girl while they talked. Ushering them toward the fire, he asked, "May I take your coats?"

She helped Teresa out of her's and told her to go look at all the books before standing to take off her own. She stopped dead when she saw the pillow in one of the chairs. Her coat was halfway off and her necklace had been pulled out from beneath her shirt in the shuffle. He found it almost impossible to take his eyes off it. Finally managing, however, he helped her the rest of the way out of her coat, bringing her out of her own trance at the same time.

He motioned with his hand for her to sit. She took a seat on the couch and looked at her hand nervously. He sat in his chair and watched her with concern in his eyes.

"I...we..." She stood up and took a few steps toward the fire so her back was to him. Lowering her head, she mumbled, "I need you're help." Turning to him quickly, she looked at him with pleading eyes. "I'm so sorry. I wouldn't have come here if I had anywhere else to go, but I've lost my job and Teresa..."

"Shhhh," he stood and laid a hand on her shoulder to steady her. "Calm down. It's all right." He locked eyes with hers. They were so concerned, so soft. She started crying, hand coming up to cover her face. He sighed and hugged her. "Will you stay the night?" She nodded into his chest. "Here, you sit down and I'll have a house elf show Teresa? to a room and she can play there or sleep. You can check on her later, then we can talk. Would that be all right?" She nodded again and sat down as he guided her into the other chair.

Calling for a house elf, he introduced Teresa and told her what was going on. She just smiled cheerfully and went with the elf, skipping as they left the library.

He sat back down and turned to Ginny. "Now, just calm down and let me know what going on. I'll help in anyway I can." It was tearing his heart out to watch her cry.

Staring at the floor, she said quietly, "I lost my job a month ago and I've reached the end of my savings without a prospect in sight. I don't have anywhere else to go because none of my family has room for us and I _can't_ ask them to pay rent for me, so...I came here. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

He hung his head as well. He just couldn't stand to see her so small and vulnerable. "You are welcome to stay here as long as you need."

"Thank you." He could barely hear her voice. "Draco?" There was more fear now than there had been when she asked for help. She was going to explain the girl. He wasn't sure how he would react.

"Yes?" He said, almost as quietly as she.

"Teresa...doesn't know why we're here." Was that all? She was going to ask him to not to say anything that would... She interrupted his thoughts. "She...doesn't know who her father is either. I've never shown her any pictures of...you." The word was almost completely inaudible.

He couldn't help but look up. Tears had filled his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I...I didn't know...I didn't find out until five weeks after I had left. It wasn't something I could put in a letter and I could never bring myself to face you. I didn't want you to hear it from anyone else either. I'm so sorry."

He just nodded. They sat in silence for an eternity. Finally he said absently, "She's beautiful, just like you."

"She has your eyes," Ginny replied. "Everytime I look into them I see you."

"I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say. It must have been awful for her to be reminded of him everytime she looked at her child.

She looked up at him with a strange expression on her face. "I'm not."


	13. Be Here To Love Me

Be Here To Love Me - Draco

Had she just said that a constant reminder of him was _not_ a bad thing? He shifted uneasily. "Are you hungry?" He asked uncertainly.

"I could eat."

He led her to the dining room. A house elf appeared and he requested a dinner. She noticed that it was a polite entreaty rather than a demanding order. That surprised her slightly. Even while they were together he would make orders to those 'beneath him.' He pulled out a chair for her and she took it. He sat opposite her.

"You've done well for yourself," she said. "I read about you in the paper."

He smiled a little ruefully. "Yes, business is going well." She was looking anywhere but at him. He really didn't know what to say, so he settled for, "Has she shown any magic yet?"

Ginny couldn't help but laugh. "All the time. She's rather precocious. A lot like I imagine you were, actually."

He gave a crooked smile. "Oh, I don't know. I always figured you took more after Fred and George than any of the others."

She shrugged with a mischievous grin on her face before remembering where she was and lowering her eyes.

He had been enjoying her smile and frowned when she looked down again. "You don't like being here." It was more of a statement than a question. "You don't like being near me." The pain was evident in his voice.

Her eyes shot back up to his. "No! I mean..." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "It's just hard, that's all."

He nodded silently. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, he couldn't stop himself from saying, "So, I'm surprised there isn't anyone out there who would do anything to keep you from coming here." He cringed when he heard the words come out.

"There hasn't been anyone else. I never even tried to make something work," she said quietly. "No one would ever be you." She took another deep breath and it sounded like she was trying not to start crying again. "Are you sure my being here won't...interfere with anything?" The pain in her voice was all to evident.

She caught a glimpse of his eyes before they closed. She had never seen them look like that. Not even the night he had asked for a second chance. His entire body fell slightly and it looked like some invisible hand punched him in the chest.

"There has been...no one. I haven't even _seen_ anyone since I found you gone. I destroyed my world, that night. I pulled the foundation out from beneath my own feet. I've had to rebuild everything, and it's gone up different this time. It's all been built on what I _should_ have been, what you needed me to be. I'm sorry that it took tearing you apart and driving you away to teach and heal me, more than a thousand lifetimes of apologies could ever express." There was no pleading in his voice, no request. He wasn't looking for another chance, he was simply apologizing.

"If it took my pain to help you, if it took my absence to guide you, my heart to heal you, then...then...it's a sacrafice I would make again." She was staring at the plate that had appeared before her, not even registering that it was there. He couldn't take his eyes off her. Her words were so unexpected, so unbelievable. "Are you happy?" she asked.

"As happy as I can be," was his answer.

She looked up at him with a quizzical expression.

"I'm not whole without you, Gin. I'm not asking for another chance," he hastened to add. "But I'm as happy as I can be without you."

"You've really not even taken a girl out?" He shook his head. She could see the change in his eyes. That wild and cold, hard center had melted away entirely. "You aren't whole without me?"

"How could I be?" he asked pitifully.

Did that mean he still loved her? "And you're not asking for another chance?" He shook his head sadly. "Why not?" She looked like she wanted to run away and hide somewhere.

"I..." the extreme confusion in his eyes mirrored her own, "How could I? After what I did?"

She nodded and lowered her eyes back to her plate. "She needs a father, though." The words seemed to be more thought than conversation. "I can see you've changed." She still sounded like she was talking to herself. "Five years is a long time. A lot can change. People can grow." His mind was realing. What was she saying? "Not asking...that..." She nodded again. Looking up and back into his eyes, she said very quietly so he could barely here, "Why not ask?"

He couldn't breath. He had simply forgotten how, that was all there was to it. His body got up and moved to kneel beside her chair on its own volition. Looking up at her with barely focused and terrified eyes, he asked, "Ginny, please, I'm not the same person I was. Please, be here to love me. I'll start over. We'll date this time..." he started rambling and she placed a finger on his lips.

"I'm not complete without you either."

Draco started laughing with tears in his eyes. Standing up, he brought her to her feet as well and held her like he would never let her go. She was crying and laughing as well. He kissed the top of her head and she kissed his shoulder. He picked her up and spun her around. When he set her down again, he heard her say, "Draco?" against his chest.

"Hm?" he buried his face in her hair.

"Do we have to date?"

He started laughing again.

* * *

Fin

* * *


End file.
